Scribd
Upload
44 views2 pages

Comparative Research Overview

This document provides an overview of the comparative research method. Comparative researchers study multiple cases looking for patterns of similarities and differences between them. The goal is to explore why the cases differ by focusing on differences in variables. Examples of comparative studies include examining stability of governments across countries, causes of revolutions, and quality of life indicators between socioeconomic groups. Comparative research can explore diversity, interpret cultural significance, or advance theory. The main styles are descriptive comparisons, which describe differences between cases, and normative comparisons, which also provide an evaluative basis for improvement. Upcoming modules will discuss specific types like cross-national, historical, and causal comparisons.

Uploaded by

Mehar Usman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
44 views2 pages

Comparative Research Overview

This document provides an overview of the comparative research method. Comparative researchers study multiple cases looking for patterns of similarities and differences between them. The goal is to explore why the cases differ by focusing on differences in variables. Examples of comparative studies include examining stability of governments across countries, causes of revolutions, and quality of life indicators between socioeconomic groups. Comparative research can explore diversity, interpret cultural significance, or advance theory. The main styles are descriptive comparisons, which describe differences between cases, and normative comparisons, which also provide an evaluative basis for improvement. Upcoming modules will discuss specific types like cross-national, historical, and causal comparisons.

Uploaded by

Mehar Usman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Comparative Research Overview

This module provides an introduction to the comparative method used in research.

Learning Objectives:

 Define and describe the comparative method.


 Describe the use of the comparative method.
 Provide examples of comparative research.

Comparative researchers study cases looking for patterns of similarities and differences.
Typically a comparative study will examine anywhere from a handful to fifty or more cases that
the researchers study in depth. The design of a comparative research study is relatively simple.
The specimens or cases will be different in some regards and similar in other regards. The
comparative method is design to focus on the differences and explore why the cases are different.
It is a commonly used method in social science research when there are relatively few cases, but
many variables in each case. It is method that often chosen when researchers are looking for
patterns of diversity or differences among cases.

To a certain extent, all research is comparative in nature. However, the comparative method is
different than the qualitative and quantitative methods previously discussed in other modules.
The qualitative method focuses on the commonalities and similarities between the cases. The
researcher may use the similarities to classify the cases into categories. Quantitative researchers
are similar to comparative researchers in that the focus is on the differences among the cases. In
quantitative research, though, the emphasis is on the differences in one of more variables across
the cases. The comparative method focuses on the differences and variances between the cases
themselves and seeks to explain those differences. Therefore, it is a considered to be a method
that focuses on the diversity of the cases. The comparative method is sometimes described as
falling between qualitative and quantitative research.

The goals of comparative research are to explore diversity, interpret cultural or historical
significance and to advance theory. Following are some examples of comparatives studies with
these goals in mind:

Exploring Diversity:

 Studying the stability of non-democratic government across countries.


 Examining the causes of revolutions in third world countries.
 Examining quality of life indicators among members of different socioeconomic groups.

Interpreting Cultural or Historical Significance:


 Studying countries that have experienced civil wars to gain a better historical
understanding of how the wars begin.
 Studying attitudes towards welfare among people of different cultures.

Advancing Theory:

 Examining the number of government welfare programs and comparing it among the
states only to find there are more type of programs than originally anticipated.
 Studying the differences among cases in an effort to find the cause of the differences and
thereby, advance understanding of a particular concept.

There are two main styles of comparative studies – descriptive comparisons and normative
comparisons. The majority of studies are descriptive comparisons that are designed to describe,
and often explain, the cases and the differences among them. Normative comparison studies are
a special style of research that goes beyond simply describing the cases by using at least one
“evaluative” criterion. The goal is to be able to provide the basis for change or improvement the
cases or objects. Both of these styles compare cases by emphasizing the differences among the
cases.

There are several types of comparative research studies. The upcoming modules will focus on
three of the most common types including cross-national comparisons, historical comparisons,
and causal comparisons. The Resource Links on this page contain additional information about
types of comparative research.

You might also like